2001 Ford Focus

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 FORD FOCUS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE IGNITION LOCKED WHILE ATTEMPTING TO START THE VEHICLE. SHE HAD TO STRIKE THE TIP OF THE KEY WHILE IT WAS STILL IN THE IGNITION FOR THE VEHICLE TO BE STARTED. THE DEALER REPAIRED THE VEHICLE IN JUNE OF 2006, HOWEVER, THE FAILURE RECURRED IN AUGUST OF 2007. THE DEALER WOULD NOT REPAIR THE VEHICLE BECAUSE THE WARRANTY EXPIRED. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 57,834 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 56,000.

FIRST OCCURRENCE HAPPENED WHEN MY WIFE AND DAUGHTER WERE DRIVING IN THE BALTIMORE TUNNEL AND THE ENGINE STARTED TO STUMBLE AND LOOSE POWER FINALLY STOPPING SOON AFTER THEY EXITED THE TUNNEL ALLOWING THEM TO PULL OVEN ONTO THE SHOULDER. IF THE ENGINE DIED 30 SECONDS SOONER WHO KNOWS WHAT COULD HAVE HAPPENED, THERE IS NO PLACE TO PULL OVER IN THE TUNNEL. SHE MANAGED TO GET TO A GAS STATION TO FILL THE TANK AND THEN THE CAR RAN FINE. IT WAS AT 1/2 A TANK WHEN IT DIED. WHEN SHE GOT HOME I CHANGED THE FUEL FILTER AND WE HAD NO MORE PROBLEMS FOR 3 MONTHS. THE SECOND OCCURRENCE HAPPENED WHEN I WAS DRIVING THE CAR TO CLEMSON SC FOR MY DAUGHTER TO USE WHILE ATTENDING COLLEGE. I RAN THE TANK TO ALMOST EMPTY AND NOTICED SOME LOSS OF POWER BUT I THOUGHT I JUST GOT TO CLOSE TO EMPTY, FILLED IT UP AND ALL WAS FINE AGAIN. WHILE I WAS PASSING AN 18 WHEELER, FUEL AT 1/2 TANK, THE CAR STARTED BUCKING VIOLENTLY AND LOOSING POWER. I HAD TO WAIT FOR THE TRUCK TO GO BY AND THEN MAKE AN EXTREMELY AGGRESSIVE MOVE CUTTING OFF THE CAR THAT WAS FOLLOWING THE TRUCK SO I COULD GET TO THE SHOULDER. ONCE AGAIN AFTER SITTING FOR AWHILE THE CAR STARTED AND I WAS ABLE TO LIMP TO A GAS STATION FILL IT UP AND IT WAS FINE. MY CONCERN IS FOR PUBLIC SAFETY AND A COMPANY THE DOES NOT SUPPORT THE PRODUCTS THAT THEY SELL. FORD HAS BEEN AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM FOREVER AND SENT LETTERS TO ALMOST 600,000 OWNERS TELLING THEM OF THE POSSIBLE PROBLEM AND GIVING THEM AN EXTENDED WARRANTY ON THE FUEL DELIVERY SYSTEM FOR UP TO TEN YEARS WITH UNLIMITED MILEAGE. WHAT ABOUT THE REST OF US? WE DON'T DESERVE THE SAME CONSIDERATION? I HAD TO PAY $500.00 TO FAIRWAY FORD IN ANDERSON SC BECAUSE MY VIN NUMBER WASN'T INCLUDED IN THE REPLACEMENT PROGRAM. FORD, AND ALL THERE TALK OF QUALITY, ?Q1? FLAGS FLYING AT ALL OF THEIR FACILITIES, SEEMS TO BE MORE CONCERNED WITH SHARE HOLDER VALUE, THAN THE SAFETY OF THEIR LOYAL CUSTOMERS. *TR

BOUGHT NEW IN '01 FORD FOCUS. NOTICED RIGHT OFF BRAKES WOULD MAKE A GRINDING NOISE AND SQUEAK. TIRES WERE WORN REAL BAD ON INSIDE ON ONE FRONT SIZE SINCE WE BOUGHT IT. REPEATED ALIGNMENTS WITH NO IMPROVEMENT. STILL EXPERIENCE THIS PROBLEM. STARTED EXPERIENCING PROBLEMS WITH IT MISSING DURING ACCELERATION. CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON IN FEBRUARY 2005 AND TOOK IT TO THE DEALERSHIP. THEY REPLACED SENSORS THAT HAD RECALL,WAS RECALL CODE P0401. ENGINE LIGHT STAYED ON. THEY SAID THAT WE WERE USING GAS THAT WAS DIRTY AND WAITING TOO LATE TO PUT GAS INTO THE CAR AND THAT WAS WHY IT WAS STALLING. WE PAID $272.98 FOR THEM TO REPLACE THIS WHOLE SECTION THAT HAD TO DO WITH THE FUEL BEING FILTERED. CAR LOSES POWER AND STUTTERS GOING AROUND CURVES WITH EVEN OVER A HALF A TANK OF GAS. STALLING TO THE POINT WE MUST PULL OVER INTO THE EMERGENCY LANE AFRAID OF ACCIDENT! I OWN CAR I BOUGHT BRAND NEW AND IT JERKS AND SPUTTERS LIKE SOME PIECE OF CRAP FROM JD BYRIDER! EVERYTIME WE START THE CAR YOU SMELL OIL BURNING FOR15 MINUTES AFTERWARDS. HAD IT CHECKED NO LEAKS OR ANYTHING COULD BE FOUND. APRIL OF 2005 NOTICED WHEN THE CAR IDLED AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT THE THERMOSTAT WOULD SHOW SHOOT UP SHOWING IT WAS RUNNING HOT! TOOK IT IN TO THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY FOUND ANTI-FREEZE LEAKING. WAS TOLD THE THERMOSTAT HOUSING AND THERMOSTAT HAD TO BE REPLACED. RETESTED IT AND WAS TOLD PROBLEM SOLVED. OUR BILL WAS $375.00. THIS WAS FIRST BRAND NEW CAR AND WAS TAKEN WELL CARE OF, IT ONLY HAS AROUND 78,000 MILES ON THE ODOMETER. I WAS TOLD THERE WAS A SILENT RECALL ON THESE FOR THE ENGINE PROBLEMS AND THEY WERE BEING FIXED FOR NO COST TO THE OWNER. WE WERE NOT NOTIFIED OF A RECALL AND PAID FOR ALL OF THIS OUT OF POCKET .CAR IS PAID OFF NOW AND CANNOT ENJOY HAVING A PAID OFF CAR WITH LOW MILEAGE BECAUSE WE ARE SCARED TO DRIVE IT AND BOUGHT A NEW CAR THAT WAS SAFE TO DRIVE AROUND WITH OUR KIDS! TIME GOES ON AND IT IS GETTING WORSE. SOMETIMES NOT WANTING TO START AT ALL! ENGINE STILL STALLS DESPITE ALL THESE REPAIRS. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 FORD FOCUS. THE CONTACT HEARD A NOISE COMING FROM ONE OF THE FRONT WHEELS. WHEN HE DRIVES OVER SPEED BUMPS, IT SOUNDS AS IF SOMETHING IS LOOSE UNDER THE VEHICLE. HE ALSO STATED THAT WHEN HE DRIVES BETWEEN 50-75 MPH, THE VEHICLE VIBRATES AND THE STEERING WHEEL SHAKES. HE HAD THE TIRES ROTATED AND BALANCED AND THE FRONT END ALIGNED, HOWEVER, THE MECHANIC STATED THAT THOSE WERE NOT THE CAUSE OF THE VIBRATION AND NOISE. THE CONTACT FOUND NHTSA RECALL NUMBER 02V289000 (STEERING: LINKAGES). THE CONTACT STATED THAT HIS VEHICLE WOULD NOT START AND HE HAD THE BATTERY INSPECTED. THE MECHANIC STATED THAT THE BATTERY WAS FINE. THE VEHICLE STARTED WHEN THE CONTACT LOOKED UNDER THE HOOD AND MOVED THE BATTERY CABLE. UPON CLOSER INSPECTION, HE REALIZED THAT THE CABLES LOOKED AND SMELLED BURNT. HE THEN DISCOVERED NHTSA RECALL NUMBER 02V288000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:BATTERY:CABLES). HE NOTIFIED FORD ABOUT THE TWO RECALLS AND WAS INFORMED THAT HIS VIN WAS EXCLUDED FROM BOTH. THE CONTACT FEELS THAT HIS VEHICLE SHOULD BE INCLUDED SINCE HE IS EXPERIENCING THE SAME FAILURES. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 43,800 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 38,000.

I PURCHASED A 2001 FORD FOCUS ON MY WAY TO WORK WHILE PULLING INTO MY PARKING SPACE THE CAR ACCELERATED UNEXPECTEDLY THEN THE BRAKES DID NOT WORK. I THEN PULLED ON THE EMERGENCY BRAKES WHICH DID NOT WORK TO IMMEDIATELY STOP THE CAR. I CRASHED HEAD ON INTO THE CAR IN FRONT OF THE PARKING SPACE. ALSO, UPON IMPACT THE AIRBAGS DID NOT INFLATE. THE CAR WAS SUPPOSEDLY TO HAVE FRONT AND SIDE IMPACT AIRBAGS AND ONE IN THE STEERING WHEN AND NOTHING HAPPENED. MY CHEST WENT STRAIGHT INTO THE STEERING WHEEL SO HARD THERE WAS A CIRCULAR IMPRINT AROUND MY CHEST AND STOMACH. AFTER PEOPLE CAME TO SEE ABOUT ME ONE MAN ASKED IF MY CAR WAS OFF. I SAID YES AND HE POINTED OUT THE CAR STILL LOOKED LIKE IT WAS TRYING TO ACCELERATE. THE WHEELS WERE SPINNING FULL FORCE. I TOOK THE CAR BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP I ONLY HAD IT FOR 3 DAYS AND NOTHING WAS DONE TO CORRECT THE FAILURE. THE OWNER OF THE DEALERSHIP SAID SINCE THE CAR WAS IN A WRECK IT WAS WORTHLESS TO HIM AND THERE WAS NOTHING HE COULD DO. HE EVEN THREATENED THAT HE WOULD CALL THE POLICE IF MY FAMILY AND MYSELF DID NOT LEAVE. *JB

THE CAR ALMOST STALLS THEN SURGES LIKE A KICK. IT HAPPENS MOSTLY AT AROUND 30MPH. ALL THE LIGHTS COME ON AND THE SPEEDOMETER AND GAS GAUGE GO ALL THE WAY UP AND THEN BACK DOWN TO ZERO THEN EVERYTHING GOES BACK TO NORMAL. I HAD THE BATTERY REPLACED BUT NOW THE PROBLEM IS BACK AFTER ONLY 2 WEEKS WITH A NEW BATTERY. I TOOK TO A REPAIR SHOP AND THEY CANNOT FIND THE PROBLEM. *TR

INITIALLY THE PROBLEM SEEMED TO BE HESITATION IN THE TRANSMISSION AT HIGH SPEED ON THE HIGHWAY. HOWEVER, IT GRADUALLY WORSENED AND RESULTED IN SURGING AND LOSS OF POWER. THE THROTTLE BECAUSE TOTALLY UNRESPONSIVE AND I HAD TO COAST TO A STOP ON THE SIDE OF A BUSY HIGHWAY. THE CAR IS IN THE SHOP PRESENTLY. GIVEN THE AMOUNT OF DATA OUT THERE TO SHOW THIS IS A COMMON DEFECT FOR THE 2001 FOCUS, I EXPECT FORD TO COVER THE REPAIR. *TR

TL*THE CONTACTS SON OWNS A 2001 FORD FOCUS. WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH, THE CONTACTS SON NOTICED SMOKE RISING FROM UNDER THE HOOD, FOLLOWED BY FLAMES. APPROXIMATELY ONE MINUTE LATER, THERE WAS AN EXPLOSION. THE FIRE INVESTIGATOR STATED THAT THE FIRE MAY HAVE BEEN CAUSED BY THE TRANSMISSION. THE FIRE DESTROYED THE VEHICLE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 70,000. UPDATED 09/12/07 *TR

JULY 11, 07 I HAD TO TRAVEL FOR WORK AND THREE HOURS OUT THE CAR STOPPED IN THE ROAD AND AT THAT TIME THE CAR CONTINUED TO ROLL SO I MERGED TO THE SIDE TO GET OF THE ROAD, THE ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND DIDN'T START TILL 30MIN LATER. I HAD TO TURN BACK AROUND AND HEAD HOME AND THE CAR CONTINUED TO STOP AND START OVER 20 TIMES TILL I MADE IT HOME. AT TIMES IT WOULD NOT PICK UP SPEED OR IT WOULD DECREASE. 07-26-07 I TOOK IT TO A FORD DEALERSHIP SERVICE CENTER AND THEY BROUGHT UP THAT THE PROBLEM WAS IN THE FUEL PUMP, FUEL FILTER AND PC VALVE AND OTHER ITEMS THAT DID NOT PERTAIN TO THE PROBLEM BUT NEEDED FUTURE ATTENTION. THE LADY WHO HELPED ME TOLD ME I NEED AN UPDATED VERSION OF THE FUEL PUMP AND WAS CHARGED $590.43 FOR EVERYTHING INCLUDING FEES. AUGUST 1ST, 2007 A FRIEND HAD TOLD ME THAT A DEALERSHIP IN HIS AREA WAS REPLACING ALL FUEL PUMPS FOR FORD FOCUS 2001 THAT FAILED WITHIN AN EXTENDED WARRANTY OF 7 YEARS UNDER 100,000 MILES AND THAT THE COMPANY WAS NOT TELLING ANYONE UNTIL THE PART FAILED AND THEY BROUGHT IT IN FOR SERVICE. I LOOKED UP THE CLAIM ON THE INTERNET AND FOUND THAT IT WAS TRUE. I GOT INFORMATION FROM THE DEALERSHIP AND COMPANY THAT MY PARTICULAR VEHICLE NUMBER , WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE REPLACEMENT PROGRAM. I STILL HAVE NO ANSWER AS TO WHY MY VEHICLE WAS NOT SELECTED WHEN MY CAR CLEARLY SHOWED SYMPTOMS OF THE DEFECTED FUEL PUMP. THE ANSWER I RECEIVE WAS THAT IT COULD BE A VARIABLE OF REASONS INCLUDING WHERE IT WAS MADE AND WHERE THE PART WAS MADE. I WAS ALSO TOLD THAT MY CAR HAS A 3YR WARRANTY AND THERE IS NOTHING THAT THEY COULD ASSIST ME WITH. THE MORE I TRIED TO GET ANSWERS ABOUT THE PROGRAM AND THE CARS INVOLVED, WHO I CAN SPEAK TO OR WHAT CAN I DO TO SOLVE THIS ISSUE THE MORE THE REPRESENTATIVES GOT AGGRAVATED AND RUDE. SINCE FORD WOULD NOT PROVIDE ME WITH DETAILS OR HELP WITH MY FUEL PUMP DEFECT I WANTED TO SEEK HELP THROUGH THE NHTSA TO DO AN INVESTIGATION OF MY VEHICLE IN ORDER TO PUSH A RECALL FOR MY MODEL. *TR